Treatment Options

Our Process

There are orthodontic advantages to treating certain cases in two separate stages. The goal of the Phase I treatment is to develop well-oriented jaws, healthy bones and gums, and adequate room for permanent teeth. Children sometimes exhibit early signs of jaw problems as they grow and develop. For example, an upper or lower jaw that is growing too much or not enough can benefit from early orthodontic treatment. Crowded jaws can also benefit from early observation and treatment. This early correction can prevent the removal of permanent teeth due to excessive overbite or overcrowding. If you believe a problem exists, you are most likely correct in your assessment.

Generally, we use a growth-modifying appliance for skeletal problems, limiting the need for braces, to create necessary space for patients between 8-12 years of age. In our practice, approximately 25 percent of patients evaluated between these ages undergo early treatment. Our goals for these cases are:

Take advantage of increased orthodontic compliance before the busy teenage years

Invisalign for Adult, Teen & Transfer Patients

Invisalign & Invisalign Teen use a series of clear, removable aligners that straighten your teeth without the impact of traditional braces. Invisalign allows you to go through your Orthodontic treatment while maintaining your current life style by not requiring the use of braces or wires. Virtually invisible to others, Invisalign effectively moves teeth to get you the beautiful smile you deserve.

What is Invisalign?

The Invisalign system relies on the use of a series of aligners designed to slowly and comfortably move your teeth into the desired position. This is accomplished through the use of 3D imagine technology. These images map your bite as it currently is and then create a plan to work them into the final, improved position. Each aligned made is another step in the completion of this plan. As these aligners are clear, no one needs to know you are wearing them. What more could you ask for from orthodontic treatment in Riverview?

Invisalign Benefits

These invisible aligners are as no muss, no fuss as orthodontic treatment gets. As the Invisalign system does not rely on traditional metal brackets and wires, there are not uncomfortable adjustments to be made. Instead, you simply switch to the next aligner on schedule. This means fewer office visits and less time spent when you do have one.

One of the greatest hassles of traditional braces is maintaining your dental hygiene; brushing and flossing with braces is vital but also a giant pain. However, if you are using the Invisalign system, you can simply pop out your aligner to brush, floss, and clean the aligner itself.

What can I Expect?

Before you even begin, you will get the chance to see the final result of your treatment. When your doctor takes the scans, he will generate visuals that walk you through the entire process from start to finish. This is great motivation to keep you on track and wearing your aligners.

Once the treatment plan is set, he will make your series of aligners. Every two weeks, you will move to the next, continuing until treatment is complete and the desired results have been achieved. Each new aligner will slightly move your teeth, causing no pain and minimal discomfort. Office visits will be scheduled every six weeks. You can expect treatment to take between 9 and 15 months with between 18 and 30 aligners used. Even if Hollywood is far removed from Fishawk, Invisalign can still give you a Hollywood smile.

Worried That Invisalign Will Interfere with Extracurriculars?

Not only are the aligners removable, they are very durable. Invisalign will not interfere with any of your extracurricular activities. No matter if you are acting, playing soccer, running cross country or part of the school band, Invisalign will let you continue to do all the activities you love.

The Damon System and Damon Braces provide more efficient tooth movement with greater comfort than traditional braces. The Damon System’s self-ligating braces move your teeth more efficiently with less force achieving a beautiful smile with fewer office visits and a shorter overall treatment time.

Dentofacial Orthopedics is a specialization in the guidance and management of facial growth and development that occurs predominately in childhood. Doctors at Abdoney Orthodontics have not only been trained in Orthodontics (tooth movement), but have also been trained in the management and guidance of facial growth and development. By being skilled in both specialties, they create an overall treatment plan that integrates your child’s smile with their overall facial aesthetic and health.

Essentially, while orthodontics entails the management of tooth movement, dentofacial orthopedics involves the guidance of facial growth and development, which occurs largely during childhood. In both cases, appliances are frequently used – the more familiar braces for orthodontics, and other specialized appliances like headgear and expanders depending on what facial abnormalities are present. Sometimes orthopedic treatment may precede conventional braces, but often the two are accomplished at the same time. So if your child gets braces and headgear, he’s undergoing orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics!

Because Dr. Abdoney is skilled in both areas, he is able to diagnose any misalignments in the teeth and jaw as well as the facial structure, and can devise a treatment plan that integrates both orthodontic and dentofacial orthopedic treatments.

Sleep Apnea is a condition suffered by more than 12 million Americans in which breathing stops periodically while sleeping. The lack of breathing can occur as many as 20-times per hour resulting in a lack of oxygen that alerts your brain to temporarily wake you up to restart the process. The most common symptoms are heavy snoring and breathlessness in the middle of your sleep. Sleep Apnea precludes the deep sleep cycle your body needs and leads to sufferers felling drowsy during the day.

Our Solution: TAP Appliance

The TAP® (Thornton Adjustable Positioner®) is an oral appliance similar to an athletic mouth guard that is worn while sleeping. Developed with advanced technology, it alleviates snoring and sleep apnea by holding the mandible forward during sleep to prevent the tongue and soft tissue of the throat from collapsing into the airway. The TAP is based on the same principle as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The airway must be open to allow air to pass through the throat.

Surgical Orthodontics, in most cases, is used to correct severe jaw irregularities that traditional orthodontics can’t correct. It is often used in conjunction with traditional orthodontics or braces to correct jaw alignment that improves the patient’s ability to breathe, speak and chew.

What is Surgical Orthodontics?

Just as orthodontics repositions teeth, surgical orthodontics (also known as orthognathic surgery) corrects jaw irregularities to improve the patient´s ability to chew, speak, and breathe and for improved facial appearances. In other words, surgical orthodontics straightens your jaw. Moving the jaws also moves the teeth, so braces are always performed in conjunction with jaw correction. This helps make sure teeth are in their proper positions after surgery.

Who needs surgical orthodontics?

Your orthodontist will consider surgical orthodontic treatment for non-growing adult patients with improper bites and those with facial esthetic concerns. Jaw growth is usually completed by age 16 for girls and 18 for boys. All growth must be completed before jaw surgery can be performed. However the pre-surgical tooth movements can begin one to two years prior to these ages.

How does it work?

During your orthodontic treatment, which usually lasts 6-18 months, you wear braces and will visit your orthodontist for scheduled adjustments to your braces. As your teeth move with the braces, you may think that your bite is getting worse rather than better. However, when your jaws are placed into proper alignment during orthognathic surgery, the teeth will then fit into their proper positions.

Surgery is performed in the hospital with an oral surgeon, and can take several hours, depending on the amount and type of surgery needed. In lower jaw surgery, the jawbone behind the teeth is separated and the tooth-bearing portion is moved forward or backward, as needed. In upper jaw surgery, the jaw can be repositioned forward or backward, or the jaw can be raised or lowered. Certain movements may require the jaws to be separated, with bone added/removed to achieve the proper alignment and stability. Other facial bones that contribute to alignment may also be repositioned or augmented.

When you have completed surgery, you should be able to return to school or work within two weeks. After the necessary healing time (about 4-8 weeks), your orthodontist “fine-tunes” your bite. In most cases, braces are removed within 6 to 12 months following surgery. After your braces are removed, you will wear a retainer to maintain your beautiful new smile.